optional
Americanadjective
-
left to one's choice; not required or mandatory.
Formal dress is optional.
- Synonyms:
- voluntary, elective, discretional
-
leaving something to choice.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of optional
Explanation
If you can choose whether or not to do something, it is optional. Extra credit is always optional; death and taxes are not. When you buy a new car, you can decide which options or choices, you would like. Things like a DVD player mounted in the ceiling are optional, you don't need them for the car to work, and it's up to you if you want to pay more for them. The opposite of optional is mandatory. If you're in high school, going to bed at 8:00 is optional, for your little sister in elementary school, it's mandatory.
Vocabulary lists containing optional
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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100 SAT words Beginning with "O"
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New Kid
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
That strategy led to decisions like making safety features optional, including tools designed to combat endless scrolling or limit enticing notifications.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
Crisp Mexican-style chorizo is optional, but I genuinely like this best when the corn gets to be extremely, unapologetically corn.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
Insurance companies will still be required to fully cover all childhood vaccines on the CDC schedule, including those now designated as optional.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026
Women’s and men’s expectations for a life partner have both increased as marriage has become more optional and as women have realized more opportunities to support themselves.
From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026
“It’s called a kippah. Rabbi Gold says it’s optional at Temple Judea,” Link replies, “but I think I might wear it.”
From "Linked" by Gordon Korman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
